USRowing Announces 20 New Level 3 High-Performance Coach Graduates

USRowing is excited to announce the 20 coaches who have completed the most recent Level 3 High-Performance Coach Certification Course.

Over several months, these coaches completed 11 elite coaching modules designed to advance their skills in fields such as biomechanics, advanced rigging, long-term athlete development, and rowing philosophy, to name a few. All told, the graduates completed over 100 hours of training to earn their certification.

Please join us in congratulating the latest additions to the Level 3 coaching ranks.

Wayne Berger

Wayne Berger began rowing at Cornell University as an undergraduate and his coaching career at the Salisbury School, while a faculty member at The Hotchkiss School from 1988-1991. He returned to Hotchkiss in the fall of 2022 after coaching, teaching, and working at the Loomis Chaffee School, Groton School, and Deerfield Academy, as well as coaching at Harvard University. 

Coach Berger has coached boats to the most sought-after prizes in rowing, including three IRA National Championships, five Eastern Sprints Championships, and two Ladies Plate titles from the Henley Royal Regatta during his time at Harvard University; two NEIRA championships and a Princess Elizabeth Cup semi-finalist, and finalist at the Henley Royal Regatta while at Groton School; and a 2012 Youth National Championship with Deerfield Academy. At Hotchkiss, in the school’s fifth year as a program and first as a coxed fours program, Berger led the boys and girls first boats to fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships. 

While at Harvard, Coach Berger established the Boston Rowing Club, and in five summers of coaching, his crews won seven championships and the overall points trophy at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta as well as four titles at the USRowing Club National Championships. Internationally, Berger served as the Assistant Men’s Junior Coach in 2012 and the Head Men’s Junior Coach in 2013, placing seventh in the junior eight at the World Championships.

As a lead coach for the Sydney Rowing Club in Australia, Berger coached four Sydney crews to national titles in 2013 and 2014.

At the senior elite level, Berger assisted in coaching the 2015 lightweights to a bronze at the World Championships. In 2021, he assisted with the Paralympic mixed four with coxswain, earning a silver medal in Tokyo.

An educator, Berger worked for Community Rowing, Inc. and the Institute for Rowing Leadership, training coaches in the pedagogy, physiology, and program management from 2014 to 2021. 

Coach Berger lives and works at the Hotchkiss School with his husband, Gunner Kleinschmidt.  Their passion is introducing student athletes to the sport of rowing through a process-oriented approach, based on consistency, persistence, hard work, and community.  

Ben Bradford

Ben Bradford has been coaching rowers of all ages since 2019, bringing a unique blend of global leadership, technical expertise, and passion for the sport. A U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Bradford served around the world before settling in the Washington D.C. region in 2018, where he was finally able to return to the rowing community in a coaching role.

In 2019, Brandford became the Girls Head Coach at South County High School, and by 2021, he was promoted to Program Director and Head Coach, guiding the team’s overall development and competitive success. In 2023, he founded Maven Rowing, a program designed to offer youth athletes alternative coaching perspectives focusing on growth, curiosity, and a deeper love for the sport.

Bradford’s coaching leadership extends beyond the high school level. He also serves as the Girls Head Coach at Resilient Rowing Club during the fall season and leads youth strength and conditioning programs in the summer. As a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutrition Coach, he emphasizes the complete development of young athletes—physically, mentally, and technically.

As a USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coach, Bradford is dedicated to helping rowers reach their highest potential through evidence-based training practices, innovation, and collaboration.

Bradford’s own rowing journey began in 1991 as a freshman at McCallie School, continuing through Washington College until he joined the Marine Corps in 1998. Despite a demanding career, he rowed with various clubs across the globe whenever time allowed. Now approaching retirement, he is excited to dedicate more time to coaching and promoting the sport that shaped his life.

Ethan Currie

Ethan Currie has worked at Sammamish Rowing Association since 2018, serving as the Masters Program Director since 2019 and Head Boys Coach since 2021. Prior to moving to Sammamish, Ethan coached athletes of all levels and ages, with stints at Vesper Boat Club, Craftsbury Sculling Center, Camp Randall Rowing Club, Mendota Rowing Club, and Amoskeag Rowing Club. Before coaching, he began rowing for his high school team in Concord, New Hampshire, and went on to row at Wesleyan University, earning medals at the Head of the Charles, New England Championships, and ECAC Championships. 

Since first picking up an oar in 2007, Currie has always felt that coaching would be in his future. He's excited to share his love and knowledge of the sport with hundreds of rowers every day, and hopes that he can give something back to the sport and community that's given him so much. Outside of the boathouse, Currie enjoys all forms of skiing and biking, lattes, tinkering on bicycles, and spending time with his dog, Juneau.​

Lindsay Davis Brady

Lindsay Davis-Brady has been involved in rowing since 2010, beginning her rowing career at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2014, she continued her rowing career at the collegiate level at Eastern Michigan University while beginning her coaching career with her former high school program and the local club program, Washtenaw Rowing Center. She continues to grow the sport of rowing by developing the youngest rowers in her clubs, primarily working with novices and middle school rowers. She enjoys leading the high-performance junior women at WRC’s Canadian Henley camp each summer. 

As of March 2025, Lindsay is the Associate Head Coach and Director of Operations for Skyline Crew and Washtenaw Rowing Center. She hopes to continue the growth of rowing and coaching in Michigan. 

Frank Dolezal 

Frank Dolezal has been deeply involved in the sport of rowing for over 25 years. A dedicated athlete, he has competed at both the collegiate and masters levels. 

Beyond competition, Frank has made significant contributions as a coach and referee for several Midwest programs. His leadership extended to event organization, where he co-chaired local regattas and the State Games. Frank is also a founding board member of the Friends of Nebraska Rowing, where he continues to support and promote the sport's growth in the region.

Tony Gambescia

Tony Gambescia is currently the Head Coach and Program Director for juniors (boys and girls) rowing at Swan Creek Rowing, serving a range of middle school to high school students, and has held this role since September 2019. In addition to junior coaching, Tony assists with adult Learn to Row and Master's coaching. In his role as Head Coach, Tony also serves on the club's board of directors. During Tony’s tenure, the program has expanded in size and competition. Expanding regatta participation to include national-level events, such as the U.S. Mid-Atlantics and the Head of the Charles, with increasing success. Most importantly, Tony fosters a positive team culture where athletes not only learn to be better rowers but also become outstanding community members and acquire skills that can be used not only to advance their athletic dreams but also to develop into individuals of the highest character.

A graduate of Temple University (1998), where he was a member of the Men’s Crew team. As a walk-on, Tony rose to compete at the varsity level in both lightweight and heavyweight events. Tony has won 17 career gold medals while competing at Temple and has raced across the country. He was captain of the lightweight team and was awarded Lightweight of the Year in 1998. Tony was also a member of the North Wildwood Beach Patrol and competed in both single and doubles rowing events. Tony is an avid Triathlete, competing in sprint to Ironman distances, and enjoys hiking, backpacking, and camping.

Stephen K. Hoverman, MD

Steve’s first rowing experience was as a freshman at Dartmouth under Pete Holland, before returning to track and field when he became too heavy for lightweights.  He took up rowing again with the East Arm Rowing Club in Greenwood Lake, NY, competing at the international Masters in Montreal and the Head of the Fish as well as local regattas.  After coaching juniors at the rowing club, in 2010 he started the rowing team with the impetus of two students at Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY and coached it for ten years (running into Pete Holland again during a winter training session at West Point) while maintaining a full time Internal Medicine practice and part time hospital administration position in Warwick.

In 2022 he moved with his wife Nancy to Hanover, NH to be closer to some of his 11 Grandchildren, and to continue rowing and renew coaching on the beautiful Connecticut River.  The level 3 program has been tremendously helpful in realizing that goal.

Wajeeha Khan

Wajeeha Khan has been part of the Rowing Committee in Karachi, at Karachi Boat Club, Pakistan’s premier rowing club, since 2019. She began rowing in 2018 as a masters novice, participating in the World Masters Regatta in 2022. Her interest in coaching led her to earn USRowing and RowingAustralia accreditations, and she has been directing coaching development at the club for the past four years. Wajeeha initiated Masters Learn to Row programmes at the club and directed high-performance camps for juniors and seniors participating in international regattas.

When she’s not rowing or talking about rowing, she spends her time taking care of the cats her daughter rescues.

Sally Machin

Sally Machin is the Head Boys Coach at Stonington High School in Connecticut, a position she took on in 2019. Coaching has been an interest since her early days in rowing, when she helped with novice rowers, coached camps, and assisted with other high school programs prior to having the time to dedicate herself to being a consistent coach with Stonington. As the programs in Stonington expand with the construction of a new boathouse to be home to Stonington Community Rowing, she hopes to reach more levels of rowers.

Sally started rowing in high school in Canada and fell in love with rowing in Boston while competing at Head of the Charles, which led to rowing at Boston University. She continued to compete with the Ottawa Rowing Club during the summers and feels her development was deeply impacted by the coaches who were involved in her rowing over the years.

James Nelson

James Nelson is the current Regatta Director at College Club Seattle and is also the lead U17 Coach for Pocock Youth Rowing.

Prior to working at Pocock and College Club, he served as the novice coach for Seattle Rowing Center from 2017 to 2018 and as an assistant coach for Seattle Prep from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023.

As an athlete, James began rowing in 2006 at the Texas Rowing Center. After graduating in 2013, he attended Franklin & Marshall College, where he was a three-time All-Mid-Atlantic Conference athlete.

In 2017, James moved to Seattle to join the SRC HP Team. As a member of SRC and later Mission Rowing, he was a member of the 2018 and 2019 USRowing Senior National Team. Rowing in the lightweight quadruple sculls in 2018 and the lightweight pair in 2019, he finished 10th and 7th, respectively.

In his free time, James enjoys reading, lifting, and spending time with his cat, Charlie.

Sally O’Connor

Sally O’Connor currently coaches at Potomac Boat Club. 

Lee Oldak 

Lee Oldak is the founder and director of Sag Harbor Community Rowing in Sag Harbor, NY, an organization he launched in 2008 to bring the sport of rowing to people of all ages and backgrounds on the East End of Long Island. A lifelong waterman and advocate for community access to the waterfront. Lee previously served as Commodore of the Breakwater Yacht Club and Community Sailing Center, helping expand youth and sailing programs in the area.

Lee’s path into rowing was unexpected.  As the owner of Amagansett Beach and Bicycle Company, he began selling Alden recreational shells in his store. When Alden went out of business, he transitioned to the Wintech line, only to discover they required him to carry the racing shells as well. Curious, Lee attended a local regatta and was struck by how fit, energized, and vibrant the rowers were. Inspired, he thought. “I can do this!” and the rest is history.

Today, Sag Harbor Community Rowing is a thriving part of the local athletic and maritime scene, providing access to both recreational and competitive rowing.

Outside of rowing, Lee remains an avid sailor and racer, campaigning his Henderson 30, Purple Haze, in local sailing events.

Kat Patrick

Kat Patrick has been coaching youth athletes since 2019. She originally got into the sport of rowing through a friend who convinced her to come to a Learn-to-Row Day at a local high school club team in Florida. After joining the team and learning to love the sport of rowing, she continued to keep rowing in her life by joining the club team at the University of South Florida.

Starting as an assistant coach for a high school team in Tampa, Kat has coached youth athletes of all ages and skill levels. Over the years, she has helped the athletes she has coached find success at both SRAA Nationals and Youth Nationals.

Wanting to further develop her professional skills, Kat became a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutrition Coach, adding to what she can bring to the boathouse. Kat looks forward to using the new skills and knowledge she learned through the Level 3 program as she starts her new role as the Head Youth Coach at Lake County Rowing in Clermont, Florida.

Brian Price 

Brian Price began his rowing journey at Lehigh University, where he was part of the school's newly formed rowing club. His passion for the sport quickly translated into leadership, serving as both boat captain and later as club president. During his collegiate rowing career, Brian competed twice in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta, as well as numerous regional regattas.

After a 22-year hiatus from rowing, he returned to the sport on the East Coast by joining the Masters program at Swan Creek. As a Masters rower, Brian achieved notable success, including a national title in the straight four at the 2017 Masters Nationals, multiple appearances at the Masters Henley, and five consecutive automatic qualifications for the Head of the Charles.

Currently, Brian serves as the Head Novice Coach at PNRA/Mercer, where he has made a significant impact on the development and growth of the boys' program. With Brian’s assistance, PNRA/Mercer has been one of only four clubs nationwide to send boats to all four eights finals over the past two years at Youth Nationals. Brian’s novice crews were also successful, with his U16 Boys’ eight earning bronze at the National Championships.

Brian's coaching emphasizes technical development, teamwork, and fostering a lasting love for the sport—values that have shaped both his rowing and coaching careers.

Clemens I. Reinke

Clemens Reinke began coaching for his German rowing club, the “Ruderverein Wandsbek, Hamburg,” in 1981 and completed his Coaching-B license from the German Rowing Association in 1983. In the United States, Clemens has coached youth, collegiate, and masters rowers at Nereid Boat Club, the Passaic River Rowing Association, Don Bosco Preparatory High School, Teaneck High School, and Bergen Catholic High School. 

Between 2000 and 2010, Clemens was a visiting coach each summer at the Craftsbury Sculling Camp. In 2014, Clemens founded the Bergen County Rowing Academy, which he continues to head to this day. Since 2018, he has also worked as the Head Women’s & Men’s Rowing Coach at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, NY. 

Clemens holds coaching certificates from the German Rowing Association (Deutscher Ruderverband, Level B) and has most recently completed his USRowing Level 3 Certificate.

Annually, he attended the Joy of Sculling Coaches Conference and USRowing Coaches Conference to further educate himself as a coach. He also holds a substitute teacher's license in Bergen County and all certifications required for high school coaches.

Coach Clemens began his rowing career in Germany in the mid-1970's winning four German Scholastic and Junior Championship titles and several silver medals in the single sculls, as well as double sculls and quadruple sculls. In 1978 and 1979, Clemens won the Junior Single sculls event at the Thames River Head Race in Molesey, England. He was part of the German National Junior Team and trained with world champion sculler, Peter Micheal Kolbe. In 1979, Clemens won gold for Germany at an International Youth Regatta in Villach, Austria. 

As a Masters rower, Clemens competed multiple times in the Head of the Charles Regatta. In 2013, Clemens won his race at the World Masters Regatta in Varese, Italy, in the Men’s Masters D Single Sculls. Besides his involvement with rowing, Clemens teaches Philosophy & Religion courses at Bergen Community College and Montclair State University.

Jennifer Reynolds

Jennifer Reynolds has coached at Orlando Area Rowing Society (OARS) since 2012, beginning as the assistant women’s coach and moving into her current role as head strength and conditioning coach for the men’s, women’s, and middle school programs.

Reynolds began rowing at the University of Florida’s club team and never looked back. She graduated with her exercise science degree and eventually came full circle, joining her passion for rowing and coaching athletes into unlocking their potential. Rowing has become a family affair as all 3 of her children have grown up in the environment with her oldest son now in his 3rd year as a rower - beginning the 8th grade competitive team this year. Her husband participates in OARS “Dad Boat”, a fun learning experience for dad’s to grasp what their kids are doing and even race a time or two over the course of the season. Her spare time is spent with her family, whether they are camping, traveling, or spending time in their quaint downtown streets, water is always involved - lakes, beaches, or splash pads. It’s only natural to love rowing!

The depths of completing this USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coach Certification will influence deeper than coaching - it has been such a positive development in all aspects of growth, personally and professionally. She will continue her role as Strength and Conditioning coach with a deeper understanding of operations, enhanced safety awareness, rigging, biomechanics, the list goes on. She is grateful for the opportunity, the new outreach of coaches, instructors, and course administrators. The rowing community is a force to reckon with, and its ripple effect is ever growing.

Egor Tsimbalov

Egor Tsimbalov began rowing in 2009 with on the Passaic River and started coaching in 2010 with local programs including Clarkstown High School and Dominican College (now Dominican University). He developed expertise coaching both sweep and sculling boats, from singles to eights, and co-founded the Advanced Community Rowing Association (ACRA) in 2015, where he now serves as boat technician and coach.

Egor’s athletes have earned major results, including gold in the Lightweight Men’s 4+ and silver in the Boys U17 1x at the 2019 USRowing Youth Nationals, top-10 finishes at the Head of the Charles, and multiple medals at the Mid-Atlantic Championships. He continues to develop programs for rowers of all ages, focusing on technical skills and fostering a strong community both on and off the water. He loves rowing his Fluidesign single sculls on Monksville reservoir. 

Tom Weber

Tom Weber began rowing in 1986 as a Freshman at the University of Michigan.  Tom joined the team as a coxswain and, eventually, also a single sculler.  In the 35+ years since he entered the sport, Tom has coxed, rowed, and coached at every level of rowing, from middle school to junior, collegiate, and masters, as well as adaptive and Para rowing.  He has competed nationally and internationally and sent several athletes to the National Team level.  His crews have medaled in both regional and national championship regattas.  He has founded two rowing clubs: The Huron High School Rowing Team and the Northern Michigan Rowing Club.  

Tom plans to continue to give back to the sport he loves through his professional path as a USRowing Certified Coach and a USRowing Referee.  He wants to mentor young coaches in the sport and strengthen the level of coaching in the US.  He is most happy when he is on the water coaching, and truly enjoys teaching the sport to anyone that wants to learn.  The father of three(one of whom is now a rowing coach), he has spent his career in the Midwest and Northeast.  However, he has most recently moved to the Southeast.  He has been named the new Head Coach of the Charlotte Youth Rowing Club in Charlotte, N.C.  He hopes to have a new boathouse dog by the spring season.  

Amy West

Coach Amy West, a former collegiate coxswain at Mercyhurst University, brings a deep understanding of rowing from both inside the boat and the coaching launch. She has coached throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C. area, earning a strong reputation for developing competitive crews and fostering inclusive, team-centered environments. 

Amy completed her US Rowing Level 3 Coaching Certification while volunteering as the Head Novice Coach at Collegiate Academy in Erie, PA, where she led and mentored youth athletes through several increasingly successful seasons. Committed to growing the sport and expanding access in her community, Amy is passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for individuals of all ages and abilities to discover a lifelong love of rowing.

Dan Wolleben 

Dan Wolleben has worked at Bucknell University since 2007, initially serving as an assistant women’s rowing coach until becoming the head men’s rowing coach in 2014. Before joining Bucknell, Dan coached athletes across a range of ages and skill levels at the club, high school, and collegiate levels. His coaching experience includes positions at Fordham University, Fordham Preparatory School, Pelham Community Rowing Association, Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association, and the New York Rowing Association. Before coaching, Dan began his rowing career as a walk-on at Fordham University, where he went on to win three Dad Vail Regatta championship events, one ECAC Championship, and was a two-time IRA Regatta grand finalist. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was inducted into the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.

Wolleben is also the current president of the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA), has served on the ACRA board since 2018, and previously worked with the CRCA. Wolleben values the competition, development, and teamwork that high-level collegiate rowing offers. Through the USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coach Certification, he aims to further his commitment to leading a program that fosters learning, growth, and a positive experience for all participants. 

Learn more about how to become Level 3 Certified here.